The Truth About Background Characters

There are moments when I feel like I am the background character. 

Whether it’s in my friend’s life, in my family life, or even in a group setting. This background character feeling started to seep into everything I did and thought.

TRUTH: background characters don’t exist. 

This is just one of the lies that we tell ourselves when life is slow and boring, and it seems that our close ones have so much going for them.

I remember I was back in Chile for my friend’s wedding. I was in the truck with her and her cousin just chatting about the ministry and how it was going. I was brutally honest. I told them that while I knew I was in Africa because God wanted me there, I felt like I was just helping out my parent’s calling. They were the one’s called to Africa not me. 

One of my friends said it was as if I was a background character in my parent’s ministry… That I’m waiting to get married to start my own story. 

When she said that, a light went on in my brain. “Yes! That’s exactly how I feel!” Looking back I just shake my head at how I let those words into my mind and heart and form a lie that I was a “background character.”

Fast forward a few weeks: I was discouraged and I felt lost and my mind reeled from negative thoughts about my life. I got to the point where I couldn’t take it anymore. I was tired of thinking this way.

My Mom started teaching out the book Loving God with All Your Mind by Elizabeth George at our ladies’ meetings. God slowly started to work on me about my thought life. I began studying the devotional book called Putting on a Gentle and Quiet Spirit. It was a lesson focusing on who I am in Christ. 

It clicked for me that I’m no background character. My relationship with God is the main story in my life: God and I are the main characters. It doesn’t matter if I get married or if I live in the States or in Africa. It will always boil down to where my walk with God is at.

Is it strong? Is it moving forward?

My perspective changed. My walk with God changed, my devotions started to become about spending time with my very best friend. I’m guilty of getting caught up in other people’s lives because it seems theirs is just so much more exciting than mine.

When things get out of whack in my head and heart, I take a look at my walk with God. There’s a reason why God stresses a daily walk with Him. 

When the main character is not keeping up with its co-character, the story line gets out of whack. It’s the same in life my friend, you and God get out of sync and suddenly things get out of whack.

Be the main character God made you to be. Don’t live a life spending time in the shadows because you’ll wake up one day and realize all the things you missed that God had waiting for you. Don’t be afraid to reach out and grasp the opportunities that God gave you to enjoy the life you have now.

One of my favorite verses to challenge my thinking: